Fuel combustion is used in a variety of different applications to produce usable work. For example, an internal combustion engine is a type of engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. The resulting reaction creates gasses at high temperature and pressure, which expand and act to cause movement of parts in the engine, such as pistons, turbines, and rotors.
There is a desire to increase engine efficiency so that combustion converts a greater amount of the chemical energy in the fuel into kinetic energy. Although many different methods and apparatus have been proposed or used in the past to increase engine efficiency, current engine technology is far from perfect. The lack of efficiency results in wasted energy during the combustion process. As a result, there is a continuing desire to increase further engine efficiency.